CVE-2026-72019

macsec: don't read an unset MAC header in macsec_encrypt()

HIGH
7.3
CVSS Score
Published: August 15, 2026 at 05:51 AM UTC
Updated: October 19, 2026 at 10:17 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
HIGH7.3
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: macsec: don't read an unset MAC header in macsec_encrypt() macsec_encrypt() reads the Ethernet header via eth_hdr(skb) (skb->head + skb->mac_header) to memmove() the 12 source/destination MAC bytes forward and make room for the SecTAG. On the AF_PACKET SOCK_RAW + PACKET_QDISC_BYPASS transmit path the skb reaches the macsec ndo_start_xmit() with the MAC header unset, so eth_hdr(skb) resolves to skb->head + (u16)~0 and the read is out of bounds: a 12-byte heap over-read that is also emitted on the wire as the frame's outer source/destination MAC. KASAN reports a slab-out-of-bounds read in macsec_start_xmit() on 6.0; on current mainline a CONFIG_DEBUG_NET build flags it as an unset mac header in skb_mac_header(). On the TX path the L2 header is at skb->data, so use skb_eth_hdr(), added by commit 96cc4b69581d ("macvlan: do not assume mac_header is set in macvlan_broadcast()") for exactly this purpose.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

4.6c09440f7dcb304002dfced8c0fea289eb25f2da0
Vendor states this is fixed in 2cf10d042562283ff4ae97c02d0993d4f1b5ea29 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 3adea1b1c04b57e08a5c12a1f42483760581ce61 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in b6cec6187b8632423cd99a94fd5e5ba165fa2a33 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in c39087ad0b97fc11a3b058dfc8db9fd370762cb9 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in dc9ffa1905e72f026d080880a2e4cfc42aa91000 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in e17a42199824973cd8212e95b21ffadf4114a21b (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f21fa533a3ed15ada74106aac4b9ddd078fc6b7a (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f5089008f90c0a7c5520dff3934e0af00adf322d (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.6 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.265 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.216 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.178 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.97 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.18.40 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.145 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.1.5 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.2 (unaffected)

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet, and no fixed version or vendor advisory is recorded against it.

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

7.3HIGHLinux
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusRECEIVED
CWE
CWE-125

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